USA roadtrip - a few final questions

[R_Paulis]

oops double post.

[Jason McNamara]

Scott -

Maybe we could make more sense of the Miami Gambit (tm) if we knew a bit more about your interests.  Golf, check; beach, check.  Then again, if you want to spend a couple days at Disney instead, don't let the DG talk you out of it.  (Hey, there's got to be some reason that BA & Virgin have non-stops from London to Orlando.)

In any event, if you do fly in/out of the Miami area, be sure to check prices for the airport in nearby Ft. Lauderdale (FLL).  Southwest flies there, and if even you don't take one of their flights, they keep others' fares low.

[K. Krahenbuhl]

I agree with what others have said.  If you're coming through Texas then

Austin > San Antonio > Dallas

[Mark Chaplin]

Scott

Make the most of your TWO years in the UK with Europe on your doorstep!

Only place I'd recommend from my limited US experience is Key West, party town and a great drive from Miami to get there.

[cary lichtenstein]

My wife and I have been everywhere in the US, here are the must sees in terms of uniqueness you will not find anywhere else in the world:

17 mile drive in Pebble Beach
San Franciso, Golden Gate Bridge, Muir Woods, Cable Cars
Las Vegas Strip
Grand Canyons, Brice,
Rocky Mountains in Colo
Chicago
New Orleans
Times Square in New York
Niagra Falls

[Anthony Gray]

My wife and I have been everywhere in the US, here are the must sees in terms of uniqueness you will not find anywhere else in the world:

17 mile drive in Pebble Beach
San Franciso, Golden Gate Bridge, Muir Woods, Cable Cars
Las Vegas Strip
Grand Canyons, Brice,
Rocky Mountains in Colo
Chicago
New Orleans
Times Square in New York
Niagra Falls

  Cary, you forgot the Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota.
www.cornpalace.org/newpages/webcam.html

 

  Anthony

[Mike Hendren]

I'll second the following:
Nashville - Grand Ole Opry on Saturday night / Hot Fish & Chicken Capital of the World / Country Music Hall of Fame
Ashville, NC - Biltmore House tour / Smokey Mountains
Chicago - Chicago Architecture Society River Cruise / Lou Malnati's Pizza
Seattle - Seaplane ride / Pike's Fish Market
Miami - South  Beach Nightlife (so I've been told)
Carmel - 17 Mile Drive /  Big Sur / Lunch at Nepenthe
Seaside/Destin, FL - New urbanism and nation's best beach

Bogey

[Anthony Gray]

  I agree with Ashville, the Grove Park Inn has the best food and spa of any place that I have ever stayed.  I still don't agree with Memphis, but if you go there you might can see two great American icons.  MOM and Elvis.

 

[Scott Warren]

MOM?

[Scott Warren]

I want to thank everyone again for contributing so far, it's certainly very much appreciated. I have been working slowly but surely on finalising an itinerary for the past couple of months and it looks like we might finally have something close to a finished version.

The bad news is that 4-5 weeks has been reduced to three. For a good cause though. My partner and I were offered a business opportunity recently that will mean we can only spare three weeks between leaving the UK and being back in Australia. It would have been great to have longer, but if all goes as well as I expect, there will be other times for the places we are missing this time!

So the plan is to arrive in Boston in the second week of October and leave from San Francisco during the first few days of November. Having our time curtailed made it hard to see all the spots we wanted, but in the end we think it's a better bet to see a couple of regions really thoroughly than spread ourselves too thin and try to see 18 or so different places in 21 days.

Here's what we are looking at (each line is a day), all opinions - good and bad - welcomed!

Fly into Boston
Boston
Boston - New England countrside (drive)
New England Countryside (drive)
New England Countryside - NYC (drive)
NYC
NYC
NYC
NYC - Philadelphia (train/bus)
Philadelphia
Philadelphia - Washington DC (train/bus)
Washington DC
Washington DC - Las Vegas
Las Vegas (Grand Canyon daytrip)
Las Vegas - LA (drive)
LA
LA
LA - Cabrillo Hwy (Cali. SR1) somewhere (drive)
Cabrillo Hwy - Monterey (drive)
Monterey - San Francisco (drive)
San Francisco
Depart San Francisco

I'd like to have another day between LA and San Fran, but to get that, I'd likely have to sacrifice a day in New England? Worth it?

cheers,
Scott

[Scott Coan]

Basically just towns that are the "real" America. Though I know with the varied cultures from east to west and north to south there are many varieties of "real" America. I just find big cities give you a skewed perception of a country, so I'd like to match the obvious places like NYC with some places with country charm.


Just my 2 cents, but from what you mentioned about cities vs. towns I would swap out one of your days in NYC for a day/night on Nantucket Island off the coast of Cape Cod (an hour south of Boston and then a ferry ride).  My in-laws came to visit us in Boston (from New Zealand) and we took them to Nantucket.  10 years on they still rave about the experience. 

Mid-October is a great time to be in New England as the foliage really starts to turn on the Autumn colors right about then.

Unless you have something specific you want to experience in LA then get in and out of there as quickly as you can.  Sacrifice a day (or 2!) in LA and use it on your trip to SF. 

[Bill_McBride]

Scott Warren, is there golf in the plan for every day?

Why are you going to Las Vegas?   

I look forward to seeing you next week at the Buda!


- Bill

[Jason Topp]

Here's what we are looking at (each line is a day), all opinions - good and bad - welcomed!

Fly into Boston
Boston
Boston - New England countrside (drive)
New England Countryside (drive)
New England Countryside - NYC (drive)
NYC
NYC
NYC
NYC - Philadelphia (train/bus)
Philadelphia
Philadelphia - Washington DC (train/bus)
Washington DC
Washington DC - Las Vegas
Las Vegas (Grand Canyon daytrip)
Las Vegas - LA (drive)
LA
LA
LA - Cabrillo Hwy (Cali. SR1) somewhere (drive)
Cabrillo Hwy - Monterey (drive)
Monterey - San Francisco (drive)
San Francisco
Depart San Francisco

I'd like to have another day between LA and San Fran, but to get that, I'd likely have to sacrifice a day in New England? Worth it?

cheers,
Scott

Scott:

It will be a terrific trip.  Here are my thoughts on potential adjustments:

1.  I would not shorten your stay in NYC.  There are so many talented people doing interesting things in a small area that you will enjoy every minute there.

2.  The idea of a day trip to the Grand Canyon from Las Vegas is very ambitious.  According to Google Maps, you are looking at 5 hours of driving to get there and an additional five hours to return.  Much of that will be on winding roads.  If you are dying to go, I would recommend staying a night at the lodge.

3.  Unless you are playing LA North and Riviera, I would cut days from Los Angeles.  The main thing you will experience there is traffic congestion.

Regardless of any adjustments you make enjoy your trip and good luck with the business venture.

[Jason McNamara]

Boston - New England countrside (drive)
New England Countryside (drive)
New England Countryside - NYC (drive)

Wow... I am guessing major brownie points w/ the mademoiselle for fall foliage viewing.  But if you get sick of looking at leaves, one other architecture stop is Philip Johnson's Glass House (outside New Canaan, CT):  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glass_House

I am disappointed to see your trip has turned into a Northeast + California trip, but I realize you have less time than you originally anticipated.

Other than golf, DC > Philadelphia.  If the weather somehow becomes non-golfingly [sic] bad, add a day in NYC or DC.

And to throw in a final plug for a train ride, there's another overnight run from a couple hrs S. of the Canyon (Williams, AZ) straight into LA arriving 8am.  Saves you the ride back to LV and the subsequent drive to LA.

[Steve Lang]

  Forget so much time in "NEW ENGLAND" and Vegas.. get to Santa Fe/Black Mesa,  hop over to the canyon, jump to Rustic Canyon, do Route 1 and stop at Hearst Castle, dine and stay in Monterey, head to Twin Peaks for the best view of San Fran.. dine at the Cliff House for fun.. get the alternative Marin view at Mt. Tamalpias , exit

[Matt Day]

I did the day trip driving to the grand canyon from Vegas with a tour group. Left at 6am and got back at around 7pm but was well worth it even though the return trip was pretty boring (apart from crossing the Hoover Dam and comin down into Vegas at night)

[Scott Warren]

Scott Warren, is there golf in the plan for every day?

No, probably five games. Two up in the north east and three in California. See you at Buda!

2.  The idea of a day trip to the Grand Canyon from Las Vegas is very ambitious.  According to Google Maps, you are looking at 5 hours of driving to get there and an additional five hours to return.  Much of that will be on winding roads.  If you are dying to go, I would recommend staying a night at the lodge.

3.  Unless you are playing LA North and Riviera, I would cut days from Los Angeles.  The main thing you will experience there is traffic congestion.

We wouldn't drive to the canyon and back ourselves, you're right, that would be too much driving! There are tour groups who do bus and light plane trips there in a day, so that's the plan.

Re LA, I am playing Riv, and my missus will want one full day there together (ie. where I don't bugger off and play golf) together there, so my hands are sort of tied there.

And to throw in a final plug for a train ride, there's another overnight run from a couple hrs S. of the Canyon (Williams, AZ) straight into LA arriving 8am.  Saves you the ride back to LV and the subsequent drive to LA.

That's not a bad idea. The logistics of seeing the canyon, because it's a priority for both of us, were one of the most difficult parts to plan, and TBH, to head to the canyon, check it out, then jump on a train could be better than the way we have it at the moment - provided we could drop a rental car off in Williams. I will definitely look into that.

I did the day trip driving to the grand canyon from Vegas with a tour group. Left at 6am and got back at around 7pm but was well worth it even though the return trip was pretty boring (apart from crossing the Hoover Dam and comin down into Vegas at night)

Do you remember which tour group you used, Matt? As I said above, this remains one part of the trip I'm still trying to get set.

Scott Coan: Nantucket does sound pretty good... I don't know about losing a night in Boston, but we could perhaps spend a night of the New England leg out there. Something to look at, for sure.

[Jason McNamara]

And to throw in a final plug for a train ride, there's another overnight run from a couple hrs S. of the Canyon (Williams, AZ) straight into LA arriving 8am.  Saves you the ride back to LV and the subsequent drive to LA.

That's not a bad idea. The logistics of seeing the canyon, because it's a priority for both of us, were one of the most difficult parts to plan, and TBH, to head to the canyon, check it out, then jump on a train could be better than the way we have it at the moment - provided we could drop a rental car off in Williams. I will definitely look into that.

Hmm... You might have to drive to Flagstaff instead, but that is not much farther.  Maybe 1:30 from GC Village on the South Rim.

Check out
http://www.thetrain.com/
http://www.amtrak.com/timetable/may09/P03.pdf

[Matt Day]

Scott
i just went through the conceirge at the Hotel, there seemed to be plenty of choices. I enjoyed the drive out there, and there was only six people in a massive SUV so plenty of space and an opportunity to meet some friendly Americans 

[Scott Warren]

Cool. Thanks Matt.

[Mark Pearce]

Scott,

The Grand Canyon is the single most amazing thing I have ever seen.  To really get a feel for it, however, I think you have to walk at least part of the way in (if it's open at the time of year you are there).  That'll need a full day, so I'd suggest staying a night in a lodge (or possibly in Flagstaff) and then having a full day at the canyon.

[Brad Wilbur]

If you are going to Las Vegas, but still want to see the Grand Canyon, another way would be to take a helicopter or airplane tour.  It's more expensive, but much more time-efficient.  http://www.lasvegasgrandcanyontour.com/

[Kalen Braley]

The Grand Canyon is indeed a long drive...just no easy way to get there from Vegas.

While its neat, it is very touristy and to really capture it, you need to get away from the peeps which is no easy thing to do.

A flight or copper ride would be cool, but its my understanding these are very $$$.

P.S. This may be worth checking out while u are there:

http://www.grandcanyonskywalk.com/

[Chris Buie]

Scott, since LA is a significant part of your trip, you may want to consider reading some Raymond Chandler before you go. 

[Greg Chambers]

Scott,

If you really want to impress the little lady...bag the extra day in LA and head north, spend the night in San Luis Obispo or Pismo Beach...she'll love it.  LA sucks, you'll realize that as soon as you get there.